Prudence Hilburn: Brownies a good starting point for experimenting

Prudence Hilburn More Content Now

Monday

May 7, 2018 at 10:54 AMMay 7, 2018 at 10:54 AM

The brownie is one bar cookie that is internationally acclaimed as a favorite. Ask anyone if he or she would like a brownie, and seldom will you hear “no.”Over the years, brownies have been used by creative bakers to come up with many other favorites. For those who like to experiment with recipe ideas, just get out your favorite brownie recipe, put on your apron and head to the kitchen. The classic brownie recipe is a good basic starting point from which your new culinary ideas can be expressed.When I was writing “A Treasury of Southern Baking”, published by HarperCollins in 1993, my desire was to include recipes that could be used by both professional bakers and those just learning to bake.To do this, I decided to have a section called “the busy baker recipes” behind each regular chapter. For example, after the regular cake chapter, there is a mini-chapter called the Busy Baker Cakes.Polka Dot Brownue Pie, found in the busy baker pies, is for those just starting to learn to bake. No matter how simple the recipe is, if it looks good and tastes good, even a novice will be encouraged to try more. Before we know it, some of them probably will have risen to the professional level of baking.The following recipe, Brownie Fudge Pudding, is a little more involved and probably is best for those who have been baking for a longer time.

— Prudence Hilburn of Piedmont, Alabama, has won more than 30 national cooking awards and written several cookbooks, including, “Simply Southern and More.” Write her at prudencehilburn@aol.com or visit www.prudencehilburn.com.